25 Days of Christmas
by ZizhunWriter
Summary: I have a quilt that has a different picture for the 1-25 of December. I am going to write a OUaT one-shot for each day based on the picture. Characters will vary, so check summary and character list at the beginning of each chapter to see if you'll like it. Characters tagged are the ones in the last uploaded story. If anyone has a cover pic I could use, please PM me.
1. December 1- Wreath

**Author's Note: I hope everyone enjoys this! I will put a summary and a list of the characters involved at the beginning of each chapter so you can tell if it's something that will interest you. Also, I know this one is pretty short, but most are a little longer.**

Summary:Gold doesn't decorate the shop or outside of his house for the holidays, trying to keep up his intimidating persona. Belle decides that should change.

Characters: Rumpelstiltskin and Belle

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><p>Gold walked back to his house, ready to see Belle after working all day in the shop. However, he froze as soon as he reached the door, eyes glued onto the door. There, hanging as if it had always belonged there, was a simple-looking wreath. He yanked the wreath off the door and stomped into the house. "Belle!" he yelled. Puzzled and concerned by the anger in his voice, Belle came running out of the library.<p>

"Rumple, what is it?"

"Regina is trying to make me look like an idiot, or the Charmings think I need more 'Christmas cheer.'" He said Christmas cheer in his traditional Dark One voice, and Belle struggled not to giggle at him.

"Or your wife thinks the wreath looks lovely on the door," Belle countered. Gold looked at her in shock, the wreath drooping in his hand.

"You put it there?" he asked, and then a giggle finally did escape from Belle.

"Yes, silly. I know you want to be intimidating, but honestly, there are more Christmas decorations in this house than in Santa's workshop. I thought we could at least have a few on the outside as well."

Gold walked closer to her, setting the wreath down on a table. "Well, if that's what you want, I can put up with being made fun of for an entire month," he assented, smiling broadly at his beautiful wife.

"You will not be made fun of," she asserted, and when he gave her an incredulous look, she clarified. "No one would be brave enough to make fun of the Dark One."

That got a chuckle out of him, and he leaned in closer to her, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "No, not when they know you will chase after them with a broom if they dare to insult me." She pulled him in close for a Christmas kiss then, to show that he was right; she'd do anything for him, including chase people around with a broom.


	2. December 2- Star

Summary: Roland wants to have a Christmas tree just like Regina's, and Robin wonders how he'll get the star topper to the top of the tallest pine tree in the forest.

Characters: Robin Hood, Roland, and Regina

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><p>Regina beamed as she opened the door, to find Robin and Roland there. "Are we early?" the thief questioned, one hand on his son's shoulder.<p>

"No, breakfast is all ready," the Queen informed them, and they entered her house. Robin followed her into the kitchen, and helped her bring the eggs, bacon, and mini cinnamon rolls out to the table. Roland, who was normally helpful, didn't follow. Instead, he stared, fixated by the sparkling tree in the corner of the dining room.

"Why is there a tree in your house?" he asked Regina as she brought out warm mugs of apple cider for the three of them.

"Well, because it's getting close to Christmas, and around Christmas time, people decorate pine trees and put them in their homes," Regina explained.

Roland nodded, thinking through what she said, before his brow furrowed. "Why?"

"I don't really know," Regina admitted. "I think it's just for the fun of it. Now, why don't you come sit down, and enjoy your breakfast?"

Roland walked over, and instead of sitting next to his father, like he normally did, he sat next to Regina, because from there he could get a better view of the glittering tree. He hardly said a word for the entire meal; he was too mesmerized by the light glinting off the shiny balls and garland. But most of all, the huge, golden star at the top drew his attention. It was the biggest, goldest, and shiniest thing he'd ever seen, besides perhaps the sun.

Robin graciously thanked Regina for the meal, apologizing for Roland's lack of participation. She said to think nothing of it, and then the two boys left, headed back to their camp in the forest.

"Daddy?" Roland asked, swinging his arms as he walked.

"Yes, Roland?"

"Could we get a sparkly tree too?" He was looking at Robin so hopefully that there was no way the father could say no.

"Sure, Roland. Let's decorate a tree near the camp." The little boy nodded, glad with that answer, and walked a little faster, so they could decide which tree to make the sparkly one soon.

As soon as they reached the camp, Roland knew exactly which tree to decorate. It was huge, and green, and already looked a tad sparkly. It was the perfect tree, and he pointed it out to his father.

Robin suppressed a groan as he saw the sheer size of the tree his son had picked. It must be one of the largest trees in the forest. "Alright, Roland. We'll try," he promised, sealing his fate.

"Yay!" Roland yelled, hugging his father, before dragging him back the way they'd come. "We have to get the shiny balls and ribbon, just like Regina had," he asserted.

Needless to say, by the time they'd bought everything Roland wanted, Robin was surprised by the staggering price of the flimsy appearing items. Only the golden star seemed to be actually worth the price Sneezy was charging for it. Despite the high price, Robin bought everything on his son's list.

However, as soon as they got back to the giant tree, Roland noticed a problem. "Daddy, how are we going to get the shiny stuff onto the tree?"

Robin started to grin then, because he already had the perfect solution. He pulled out his bow, and Roland started to hop up and down with excitement. "I'll shoot, you run." Roland giggled as his father tied a strand of the garland to an arrow, and shot it high into the tree. The garland trailed to the ground, and Roland ran in a circle around the tree, wrapping it around the branches just like Regina's tree. By the time all the garland was in place, Roland was exhausted. Robin, however, was just getting started.

"Here, Roland. You hang some of the balls close to the bottom, and I'll get the ones at the top." Tiredness instantly forgotten, Roland grabbed the glass balls and started to hang them, pausing every now and then to watch his father shooting several different places, making the balls stick to the tree.

"Yay, it's almost perfect," Roland exclaimed when it was done. It looked almost exactly like a larger version of Regina's tree, only missing one thing. "We just need to put the star on."

"Okay, do you want to put it on?" his father questioned.

"But Daddy, I can't reach the top." Robin frowned, looking to the top of the tree and then down at his precious boy.

"Does it have to go on the top?"

"That's where it was on Regina's tree," Roland asserted. Robin looked to the top of the tree, which he judged to be higher in the sky than the moon, then at the little tree topper in his hand, and then back at the top of the tree. There was no way he could shoot it up there without damaging the star or missing the top of the tree entirely.

"Roland, I don't think I can get it up there." Roland was about to respond, when a voice interrupted them.

"How did you manage to decorate such a big tree?" Robin jumped, and turned around, smiling when he saw Regina.

"My bow and arrows aided us greatly," the thief admitted.

"Well, I must say, I'm impressed."

"But Regina, we can't figure out how to get the star on top. It can't be a proper shiny tree without a star on top!"

Regina repressed a giggle at the boy's name for the tree, and bent down in front of him. "I bet I can help with that." She straightened, and Robin handed her the topper. "You know, Roland, in my house Henry always puts the star on the top. Do you want to put it there?"

"But I can't reach that high," Roland protested, and Regina was reminded of a young Henry saying the exact same thing.

"You can, with my help." After getting permission by way of a nod from Robin, Regina handed Roland the star and scooped him up in her arms. It only took a little magic to levitate them up to the top of the tree. Roland giggled as the ascended quickly, not noticing the worried look on his father's face. Soon, he placed the star high in the sky, where it belonged, and Regina lowered them back down to the earth.

Roland took a step back, to survey their handy work. "Now it's perfect," he declared, smiling up at his father.

Robin hugged his excited son, but looked at Regina when he said, "Yes it is, son. Yes it is."


	3. December 3- Holly

Summary:Snow and David decorate their house with the same plant they used in the Enchanted Forest: holly.

Characters: Snow White, Prince Charming, Emma, and a little bit of baby Neal.

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><p>Emma walked into her parents' apartment, and stared in shock at the sheer amount of holly they'd managed to fit into the tiny space.<p>

"Emma," Snow greeted, while, to Emma's disbelief, putting up even more of the plant.

"Hey, Emma, what brings you here?" David asked cheerfully, appearing from upstairs with a cardboard box in one hand and her baby brother in the other. If Emma had to guess the box's contents, she would say it was filled with holly.

"Henry's at Regina's, so I thought I'd stop by, but I didn't expect this place to look like a forest. What's with all the holly?"

Snow and David shared a grin, before turning to look at their daughter. "Well, Emma, it reminds us of Christmas at home," Snow admitted.

"Yeah, the castle was always filled to the brim with holly during the holidays," David informed her. "So, we decided to decorate the apartment with some."

"Some?" Emma questioned incredulously. "There's more plant visible than there is wall."

"We may have gone a bit overboard," David admitted, looking around the apartment with a fond smile on his face as he remembered how happy the holly made Snow. He'd realized several boxes ago how much holly they were putting up, but this was an important part of his wife's childhood, and he wasn't going to stop her from putting up as much holly as she wanted to.

"It's not too much though, right?" Snow questioned, sounding worried as she examined the walls. They looked amazing to her, but what if Emma was right? What if it was too much of her favorite Christmas plant?

"No, it's fine," David reassured her. "Maybe we should stop here, though."

"Ok," Snow agreed, still looking unsure of her choice of decoration. Sure, the palace was always filled with holly, but she had to admit it was never quite this full. Maybe they had gone overboard, but she couldn't bear the thought of taking any of it down.

David rocked Neal as he started to fuss a little, and shot a glare at Emma. He needed his daughter to tell Snow that the holly looked wonderful, so she'd stop doubting herself.

"Yeah, Mary Margaret, it looks great," Emma said. "Really festive."

"What decorations are you and Henry going to put in your new apartment for Christmas?" Snow asked, trying to distract from the holly.

Emma had never really decorated for Christmas, seeing as she was almost constantly on the move. Honestly, without a family, she'd never really enjoyed the holiday before. She hadn't really thought about what decorations she would put up until that moment.

"Well, a tree, and maybe some lights for the outside." Emma thought a little harder about her decoration choices. "And you know, since you're done with the holly, maybe I could have some?" Holly really did look good, even if Emma wouldn't use quite as much as her parents.

A wide grin spread across Snow's face as she realized her daughter wanted to continue the family tradition. "Sure, Emma."

As Emma carried one of the five boxes Snow and David still had that contained holly, she wondered what other Christmas traditions she would become a part of that year.


	4. December 4- French Horn

Summary: Henry finally decides to tell Regina about something he learned during his year with Emma.

Characters: Henry and Regina

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><p>Henry walked up to Regina's house, and sighed heavily, shifting the heavy weight in his hand. He'd told her he'd forgotten something at Emma's apartment and was going to get it quickly, but that didn't change the fear knotting in his stomach. What if she didn't like it? What if she thought he was terrible at it? Anyway, it was too late to back out now, as his mother was already opening the front door, staring curiously at him.<p>

Regina wondered what was in her son's odd-looking briefcase, but decided to wait a little to ask him, as she ushered him inside. It was freezing and cloudy outside, and while it had yet to snow, she was sure it would soon. Once Henry was out of the cold and had taken his winter coat off, she decided to ask him. "Henry, what is it?"

He shifted uncomfortably, still worried about his mother's reaction. Regina instantly noticed his nerves, and decided to act encouragingly, no matter what it was. "Well, uh, it's just … well it's kind of stupid."

"I'm sure it's not," his mother countered without even knowing what was inside the briefcase. Unless it was drugs or something, whatever was important to her son would be important to her.

"Well, uh, it's just something I learned in New York." He stopped talking then, and scuffed his shoe on the ground, not looking at her.

Why would Henry be this nervous if it wasn't something bad? Regina did her best to fight down the urge to demand the information from her son. She might just be overreacting. Hopefully she was overreacting. "What did you learn?" she asked.

Henry winced at the hidden bite in her voice. "It's just …" he trailed off, putting the case on the table and opening it so his mom could see the contents.

Regina stared in shock at the shiny, silver instrument. "Henry, do you play this?"

"Yeah," he admitted shyly, and then all his emotions were coming out in a rush. "I just didn't know how you'd feel about me playing an instrument, because you might think it was a waste of time, like when I was reading the storybook. Or, you might not even like music, or think it will take away from me focusing on other things, or …"

"Henry, it's wonderful," Regina interrupted before he could say any of the other ways she might not approve of his newfound interest in music. "Music is a great hobby."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course. I think it's wonderful that you learned to play the … instrument."

Henry smiled at her confusion. "It's a French Horn."

"Ah. Well, it looks wonderful, and I bet it sounds even better."

His smile widened at his mother's approval. "Do you want to hear me play?" he asked, still sounding a little shy.

"Of course," Regina encouraged. Henry pulled the instrument out of the case, and Regina now realized why it had such an interesting shape. He put the mouthpiece on, and warmed up a little, before starting to play "Frosty the Snowman."

Regina knew, intellectually speaking, that the song still needed some work. Henry missed a few notes, and was playing it pretty slowly. However, she couldn't help but feel that it was the best version of this song, actually the best song period, that she'd ever heard.

Henry finished playing, and felt his face turning red, not from the lack of oxygen but from embarrassment. He'd done terribly, he knew, and his mom would surely call him out on it. Everyone knew the tune, so his mom would have noticed every one of his mistakes.

"That was wonderful!" Regina exclaimed, shocking Henry by the sincerity and excitement she was expressing.

"But I messed up a lot," Henry pointed out.

"It was still amazing," Regina asserted.

"You really think so," Henry stated, realizing his fear that his mother would hate his playing was completely unfounded. "Thanks, Mom. Anyway, I'm in band at the school, and …"

"Henry, you're in the school band? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, I just didn't know how you'd react. Now I realize that I was being stupid. I'm sorry, I know I should have told you about this sooner." He was back to looking at his shoes.

"Henry, I know I've been unsupportive of you in the past, but now I will try to support you in everything you do, alright?" He nodded, a grin spreading across his face as he realized that she meant that with all her heart. "Now, what were you going to tell me?"

"Oh, well, we have a Christmas concert on the twelfth, and I was just wondering if you wanted to come."

"I'd love to come," Regina agreed, smiling. She couldn't wait to hear he son play with other musicians. She was sure he would do wonderful.

"Ok, great." Henry started to put his instrument away, when his mom stopped him.

"Could you play another song?" she asked.

"Of course," Henry agreed, beaming as he pulled out a different song, and started to play. It was "Jingle Bell Rock", and he seemed to mess up a lot less this time, probably due to reduced nerves. While he didn't even have the melody for most of the song, Regina found herself corrected, as she bet she would be every time her little prince played, because this was now the best song she'd ever heard.


	5. December 5- Snow

Summary: It finally snows in Storybrooke, and the kids are excited to play in it. However, they aren't the only ones.

Characters: Killian, Emma, Henry, Grace, August, Archie, Pongo, and several kids of Storybrooke.

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><p>Emma walked groggily down the stairs, preparing to spend all day in the warmth of the station, watching movies with her father and sipping on hot cocoa with cinnamon. However, that didn't seem to be possible, as soon as she saw Killian talking with Henry and helping him make breakfast.<p>

"Killian, what are you doing here so early?" Emma questioned. The pirate usually dropped by the station to say hello later in the day, but he'd never come by the apartment before.

"It's snowing!" he exclaimed. Well, that explained why Henry seemed to be so wide awake this early in the morning.

"Ok, so …" she trailed off, waiting for him to tell her what the weather had to do with his early arrival.

"So? It's snowing Swan!" She glared at him, and while he couldn't believe he had to elaborate, he did. "You, me, and your boy are going to enjoy playing in it."

"Playing in the snow? Killian, aren't you a bit old for that?"

"Love, no one is too old to play in the snow," Killian countered, not letting Emma's reluctance disturb him. "And I should know. If I'm not too old, then no one is, love." Emma rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah, come on Mom. Besides, that way you can keep a better eye on the town." She groaned as Henry took away her only escape option, claiming she had to go to work. He was right, she'd be closer to doing her job playing in the snow on the streets than sitting holed up in the station with David.

"Fine, I'll come," she agreed reluctantly, but she was instantly glad she did by the excited look on Henry's face.

"Yes! This is going to be awesome!"

"Thank you so much, love!" Killian kissed her on the cheek. "Now, for the perfect snow day plan."

"The perfect snow day plan?" Emma asked. She hadn't realized the pirate already had the whole day planned out.

"Aye, you have to have at least a rough plan before just charging out there."

"Okay, so what is it?" Henry questioned, before shoveling cereal into his mouth. The sooner he finished eating, the sooner he could start the day.

"First, mate, we build a snow fort. That way, the stragglers can still engage in the snowball fight."

"Snowball fight?" Man, this was getting more dangerous by the minute.

"Aye, so then we'll have the snowball fight. After that, we come inside and enjoy a warm beverage while regaling those not present with our many adventures."

"Cool. But what about sledding? Or building snowmen?"

"Those can wait for another day, lad. Trust me, you won't want to miss this fight. It will be the greatest this small town has ever seen."

Emma sighed, realizing they were all done eating, and it was time to admit one of her greatest secrets. "Okay, um, Killian?"

"Yes, love?"

"I don't know how to make a snow fort. Or snowballs." He stared at her like she said she'd never seen a roof before.

"How could your childhood have been that deprived?" he questioned. And it wasn't just that. He was also appalled that the state of the human race would allow someone to never engage in a snowball fight.

"Um, I haven't either," Henry admitted. He hadn't really had many friends as a child, having changed grades every year while his former classmates stayed the same age. But, now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure that had anything to do with it. "Actually, I don't know if anyone in Storybrooke has had a snowball fight."

The look of sheer disbelief on Killian's face was simply precious. "Why not?" he finally managed to choke out. Emma giggled, and the pirate barely noticed through his shock.

"I don't know. It might have had something to do with my mom's curse."

That seemed to snap Killian out of his disbelief. "Well then mate, it's time I change that. Get every child you know, and meet me and your mom near the toll bridge. I'm going to teach everyone how to have a snowball fight, if it's the last thing I do." He looked almost more determined than when he'd been trying to win Emma's heart.

"Sure, Killian," Henry agreed, tugging on his coat and gloves before leaving, ready to go round up as many kids as possible.

"Alright, come on Emma, we have to hurry."

"Why? It'll take Henry a while to get there with all his friends."

"Aye, but I'll need a first mate to help me teach the lads and lasses how to make snowballs, and you can't do that until you know how." Emma sighed, shaking her head, before following the pirate out to the toll bridge.

…

Henry was able to find about twenty other willing participants, of varying ages, and soon they were all at the toll bridge, awaiting Killian's instruction. "Alright, mates, have any of you made a snowball before?" The kids stared back at him in dead silence. "Anyone ever played in snow before, at all?" Again, silence. "Well then mates, we'll start from the beginning. Swan, would you show them how to make a snowball?"

Emma bent down and packed a clump of snow together to form a ball, like Killian had taught her before the children had shown up. Killian explained how they had to pack it tightly, and all the children watched in fascination. "Alright, now it's your turn," Killian invited.

"Why don't you show us, too?" one of the kids asked, and Henry repressed a groan. Jack was always causing trouble, like the time he'd almost burnt the school down by claiming he could jump over several lit candles lined up next to each other. He always liked being the one in charge, and was resenting Killian's leadership.

"Wouldn't help you much, mate. I have a unique technique."

"Yeah? I bet you just can't do it, only having one hand. It makes you useless at this." Jack laughed, turning to make sure his friends were laughing too, only to get hit in the chest with a ball of snow. He looked up, to see the sheriff was still holding her ball, but now Killian was holding one too.

"Want to insult me again, mate?"

"How'd you do it that fast?"

"A few centuries of practice will teach you anything, mate." Jack nodded, realizing he'd been beaten. But, he vowed to himself that he'd get the pirate later, when the man wasn't watching. "Now, mates, let's make some snowballs!"

…

Emma wasn't sure quite how he did it, but it was only an hour after they first began, and there were complete forts built, and piles of snow balls inside each one. "We're now ready for the best snowball fight Storybrooke has ever seen. And apparently, the only one," Killian announced.

"Alright, but do we get to pick teams?" one of the younger kids asked hopefully.

"Sure you can, mate."

"I've got an idea," Jack spoke up. "Anyone who thinks I'm going to win, join my team. Everyone else, join the pirate captain. He can't win if we outnumber him."

"Fine, mate," Killian agreed before Emma could put a stop to the situation, for the poor boy's sake. "Prepare to eat snow." Jack laughed, and headed toward one of the forts. Most of the kids followed the teen, because even though Killian knew how to make snowballs with one hand, Jack knew how to win at pretty much everything he tried. Killian surveyed his team, surprised to see that it wasn't just Emma and Henry that had stuck with him. A girl about Henry's age and a little boy had stuck with them as well.

"Killian, you don't have to show your skill by going up against a kid," Emma reprimanded, glaring at him.

"Come on love, it'll be fun. Besides, the lad looks like he's had this coming for a long time."

"He has," the girl agreed, and Killian realized he needed to learn her name and the lad's name if they were going to be an efficient team.

"What are your names?"

"I'm Grace," she introduced, shaking his hand.

"I'm August and I just want to stay with Emma. I don't like you."

"August!" Emma said, shocked by his behavior. Sure, she hadn't been around him much as a kid, but she'd expected him to be kinder. Then again, he did always have to tell the truth.

"He hurt Archie!" the former puppet exclaimed, glaring at Killian.

"I'm so sorry about that, mate."

"Whatever," the red head mumbled, not accepting the apology but not fleeing to the other team, either.

"Now come on! Let's start!" Grace and Henry looked equally excited at the prospect of an epic snowball battle, the likes of which they'd been denied in their younger years. The other team was buzzing with similar excitement.

"How do we start?" August asked, addressing his question to Emma instead of Killian.

"Like this," the pirate exclaimed, grabbing a snowball, standing it up, and hurling it at the other fort. They heard a kid from within cry out in shock, and then the battle began, snowballs being launched back and forth, with Killian's team sustaining far more damage than Jack's, due to their small crew.

"Captain Hook does not lose a battle, especially not when he's fighting a bunch of kids with snow!"

"Well, we're losing no matter what," Henry stated the inevitable while trying to remember what color Grace's coat was. It looked straight up white right now, but that was just due to all the snow she was covered in. "Question is, do we surrender, or die trying to obtain victory?"

"A pirate never surrenders!"

"Neither does a Savior," Emma agreed.

"Or a Truest Believer."

"Or the child of the Mad Hatter," Grace chipped in.

"Or a puppet," August agreed, proving that the whole team was in this together. They would win, or be pummeled with snow trying.

"Or a cricket." Archie laughed as they all jumped, turning around to face the rather dry and not-white looking psychiatrist. "Marco asked me to pick up August, but it looks like you all are having too much fun for that. It also looks like you could use some help."

"No offense mate, but one cricket isn't going to change the tide of this battle."

"No, but one dog might," Archie said, gesturing toward Pongo.

…

Jack smiled to himself, knowing his team was reaching victory. They did outnumber the other team five to one. There was no way the pirate would pull through. Al least, that's what he'd thought before the walls started tumbling around him. "Pongo!" he yelled, trying to stop the dog from doing any more damage, but the Dalmatian took no head of him. It plowed through all of the walls, leaving them wide open for an attack.

And attack they did. Soon, Jack's team was just as pummeled as Killian's, and the pirate's team was swiftly gaining the upper hand. With the bonus of walls that Jack's team lacked, they easily kept the lead. What's more, Jack was sure he saw the town psychiatrist helping them. It totally wasn't fair, no one had mentioned calling in reinforcements!

"Surrender now mate, before it's too late!" Emma could have sworn that he sounded almost exactly like he was yelling that at an enemy ship instead of a fourteen-year-old boy.

"Alright, alright, we surrender!" the boy agreed, and everyone on his team dropped their snowballs in defeat.

Killian's entire team cheered, and no one noticed when Grace gave Henry a victory hug, and the boy flushed scarlet.

"Never bet against a pirate, mate."

"Thanks Archie. Without you we wouldn't have won," Grace commented after releasing a still shocked Henry.

"Well, really, Pongo did all the work," he admitted, taking an instinctive step back at the mischievous look starting to grow on Henry's face. "You know, August, we better be getting you back to your father."

"But wait, Dr. Hopper. You don't look like you've been in a snowball fight." Sure enough, minus a few patches of snow on his coat, Archie had gotten through the fight relatively unscathed, unlike the rest of the participants.

"Well, I suppose so, but …" Before he could say another word, Emma, who'd been sneaking up behind him, pushed him over, sending him face first into a snowdrift.

"That's better," Henry declared as Archie stood up, sputtering and trying to wipe snow off his face.

"So, this is the thanks I get?" he muttered. "I think next time I'll just let you fend for yourselves." But then, he burst out laughing like the rest of his team. Just like them, he was glad he'd participated, despite the cold now seeping through his coat.

…

"So, who are we going to tell our regaling story to?" Emma asked Killian as they stumbled back to the apartment. The pirate groaned, collapsing on the couch.

"I might be too tired for storytelling right now, love. The children of Storybrooke sure do know how to fight."

Emma smiled wearily, having the same thought, and judging from her son slumped on the recliner; she thought he was feeling the same. "How about we let someone else do the storytelling? Have you seen _Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer_?"

"Can't say that I have, love, but it sounds fascinating." Emma used the rest of her energy to make them all hot cocoa, and then snuggled next to Killian to watch the movie. None of them noticed when the movie ended, seeing as they were all fast asleep. A day in the snow takes a lot out of you, especially in the most epic snowball fight Storybrooke had ever seen.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. It means a lot, and I enjoy seeing what you guys have to say about my story. Thanks for reading this story, and I hope you all are enjoying it.<strong>


	6. December 6- Bell

Summary:The clock tower suddenly has bells that chime the hour, something that everyone knew was going to happen. Everyone, that is, except Belle.

Characters: Belle, Rumpelstiltskin, Ruby, and Archie

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><p>Belle left the library, switching the sign to closed and walking over to Granny's for lunch. She'd be back later, but for now, she could enjoy her lunch break. She walked in and took the booth that she and Rumple usually shared, even though her husband wasn't going to join her today. It would just feel weird to sit anywhere else.<p>

"Hey Belle. What can I get you?" Ruby asked, walking over to take her friend's order.

"I think I'd like the burger, fries, and an iced tea, please."

"Why do I even bother asking you, if you're just going to get the same thing every time?" Ruby questioned, shaking her head before going to get the requested food. Belle watched her leave, smiling slightly before pulling out the book she was reading; _A Christmas Carol_ in honor of the Christmas season. She'd most likely be done with it before the holiday even happened, but that was alright. She was confident she could find other Christmas books to read.

It was right as she was opening the pages that she heard it. The beautiful chiming of bells. Leaving her purse and book at the booth, she went to the door of the restaurant and stared at the clock tower. The bells seemed to be coming from there, but Belle didn't know how that was possible. The clock had never chimed the hour before now, and she had been there this morning. She would know if there was a plan to put bells into the tower.

"Don't they sound beautiful?" Belle turned around, to find Ruby smirking at her.

"Ruby, what do you know about the bells?"

"Nothing," the waitress faked innocence. "I just came over to tell you that your food's ready."

"Ruby!" Belle protested, knowing that her friend knew what was going on. She wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery. "Come on, where did they come from?"

"How should I know?" Ruby was still smirking, but Belle knew she'd get nothing out of her friend. Ruby was great at keeping a secret when she wanted to, and it was obvious someone didn't want Belle to know why her clock tower was suddenly filled with the beautiful chiming of bells.

Sighing in defeat, Belle walked back to her booth and started quietly munching on her food, book forgotten as her mind puzzled over the bells. Who would have put them there, how did Ruby know, and why wouldn't they tell her about it? That was when it occurred to her, everyone in the restaurant seemed to know something about the bells. Everyone seemed to be sneaking glances at her and whispering, no doubt discussing why she was being kept out of the loop. If everyone knew, she didn't have to pry the secret out of Ruby; she could ask anyone.

She scanned the restaurant, searching for someone who would tell her the secret if she applied enough pressure. She spotted Dr. Hopper, sitting alone at a table, and tried not to grin too widely. She bet she could get the information out of him, and he'd probably enjoy having someone to eat lunch with.

"Hey Archie," she greeted, sliding into the chair across from him without even asking.

"Hello, Belle." He seemed really happy to see her.

"Do you know what's up with the bells?" His smile almost instantly slipped. Interesting.

"Er, no," he attempted to lie. "That is a bit odd, isn't it?"

"Come on Archie, surely you know something?" She saw him glance at someone, and Belle whipped her head around to see who. Ruby tried to soften her warning glare, but she wasn't quick enough. "Ruby, what's the big deal with the bells?" Belle was starting to get frustrated with this entire mystery.

"Nothing," Ruby said casually, before grabbing some empty plates and taking them back to the kitchen.

"Archie, why won't anyone tell me?" The psychiatrist looked at her sympathetically, and she was sure she had him.

"Sorry Belle, but you don't want to hear it from me," he insisted.

"You know Belle, he's right. I think you want to hear it from me." She turned around in her seat, to see her husband standing there. He picked up her plate and moved it back to their booth for her, gesturing for her to sit down.

"What's going on?" Belle asked, exasperated that her husband would be hiding things from her.

"I wanted to surprise you. I told them not to tell you; I wanted to. I got the town to agree to let me put bells in the clock tower, as a Christmas present for you." He smiled shyly, as if not sure if Belle would be angry or thrilled.

"So wait, you got bells put in the clock tower, just for me?"

Gold nodded. "Do you like them?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed, getting out of her seat so she could hug him without risking getting ketchup on her jacket. "That's so sweet of you!"

He smiled at her, hugging her tightly. "I'm glad you like it."

Soon, Ruby had brought over another burger for Rumple, and the two ate lunch together. Belle couldn't believe her husband had put bells in the clock tower just for her, and Rumple couldn't believe that this was all it took to make his wife so happy. If he'd known that, he would have done it long ago.


	7. December 7- Ornaments

**Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update. I planned to post one story a day, until college finals got in the way. Don't worry though, there will be twenty five of these. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.**

Summary: The Charming family decorates their tree together, with David and Mary Margaret explaining the significance of their ornaments to Emma and Henry.

Characters: David, Mary Margaret, Emma, Henry, and baby Neal

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><p>David took a step back to get a better look at the tree. "What do you guys think?" he asked, turning around to get his family's opinion.<p>

"It looks perfect," his wife reassured him from where she was sitting on the couch, gently rocking baby Neal back and forth. "It's ready for the ornaments."

"Yeah, it's ready," Henry agreed. They all turned to Emma, who'd just appeared at the bottom of the stairs with the final box of ornaments. "What do you think of the tree, Mom?"

Emma looked it over for a second. "I think it's ready for a splash of color." She opened up one of the three boxes, and stared at its contents. Henry came over to help, but also froze when he saw exactly what his grandparent's ornaments looked like.

"Cool!" he exclaimed, gently removing a carved snowflake from the box. "Did you guys make these?"

"Yeah," David said, walking over to join them. "My mother and I would make a few new ornaments every year to add to the tree. We didn't really have the money for any fancy ornaments. Anyway, the tradition stuck. Even after I married your grandmother, we would each make an ornament to add to our homemade collection."

"That's so cool!" Henry exclaimed as he examined the box of unique ornaments. Emma felt a twinge of sorrow as she thought about what it would have been like to make an ornament every year as a child, and hang it with pride for everyone to see. She wished she could have done that, instead of trying to ignore the joy everyone else felt around the holidays. "Are we going to make ornaments this year?" Henry asked.

David laughed, and ruffled his hair. "Of course! Come on, I have some supplies in the closet that we can use." David and Henry went to get the supplies while Emma sat down next to her mother, who was still rocking Neal.

"Did you make any of them?" she asked.

"Yes, mine are the ones that look like a five-year-old did them," Snow said, chuckling. "Why?"

"Just wondering."

"Hey Emma, you're going to make one, right?" David called over.

"Sure," Emma said, although it felt like the last thing she wanted to do. She didn't want to disappoint her father. Soon, she was sitting at the counter, watching David expertly carve a piece of wood, something she didn't know he knew how to do. When she finally forced herself to look away, she saw Henry was also starting on a project, doing something with clothespins that Emma didn't know her parents had.

She sighed, trying to sort through all the material and find something that she could use to make an ornament. Unlike Henry, she lacked the creativity necessary for this project. Soon, however, her mother was sitting next to her. Neal had fallen asleep, and was in the crib nearby. "So, what are you thinking?" Mary Margaret asked her, surveying the supplies they had.

"Honestly, I have no idea," Emma admitted, causing her mother to chuckle.

"Well, that makes two of us."

"You could help me," Henry suggested. "That's alright, right Gramps?"

"Of course it is, Henry. In fact, that's the best way to make ornaments."

"Alright kid, what are you doing?" Emma asked.

"Turning the clothespins into little soldiers; kind of like nutcrackers without the nut-cracking part."

"Alright, how can we help?" Mary Margaret asked. Soon, with only a little paint, they'd created a tiny clothespin army, each soldier looking snazzy in a red uniform.

Emma discovered that she'd actually had fun making them, despite her lack of creativity. Her son had plenty to share, and she found herself wishing she could make more ornaments.

"David, you should see what we did," Snow informed him, and he looked up from where he was carving.

"Wow, those guys look great!" he exclaimed. "You know, I might be a little while longer. Why don't you start decorating the tree without me?"

"Not a chance! I know how much you enjoy that," Snow objected. "Emma, Henry, and I will simply wait for you." David smiled to show he appreciated and accepted the offer, before continuing to carve whatever it was he was making. At this stage, Emma honestly couldn't tell. "Alright guys, who wants hot cocoa with cinnamon?" Snow questioned.

"Yes please!" Henry exclaimed. Soon, the three of them were sipping the cocoa on the couch in comfortable silence, listening to David carving the wood off his soon-to-be masterpiece. Eventually, Henry got bored, and he pulled out his phone, and started to play with it.

"Hey Emma, would you help me check on Neal?" Snow asked, and she agreed, following her mother into her bedroom. However, as soon as she entered, she realized that her mother had an ulterior motive. "What's wrong?"

"What? Nothing," Emma tried to bluff. Mary Margaret gave her a disbelieving look, and Emma found herself telling the truth. "Well, maybe I just wish I could have made ornaments with you guys while I was growing up." Sadness instantly sprung into Snow's eyes. "This is wonderful. I'm really having fun," Emma tried to cheer her up.

"Emma, I'm so sorry," her mother exclaimed. "I wish you could have done this as a child, too."

"Well, at least I get to now." Snow nodded, and pulled Emma into a hug.

"You can come over and do art projects whenever you want," she offered, and Emma nodded into her shoulder. "And don't worry, your father is going to make sure you make at least one ornament every year."

Emma giggled at that, accidently waking up her baby brother, who gurgled to let them know. Snow walked over and picked him up, gently rocking him again. "And don't worry Neal, you'll make ornaments when you're older." He gurgled again, as if in response to what his mother said, causing both women to laugh.

"Alright, it's done," David called.

"Cool penguins, Gramps," they heard Henry say as they walked over to join them.

"Each penguin represents one of us," David explained. "I thought we could let everyone paint their own. See, that's me," he said, pointing to the tallest. "That's you, Snow," he said, pointing to the one wearing a scarf. "This one's Emma, that's Henry, and this is Neal." Emma's was wearing a beanie, Henry's earmuffs, and Neal's was the smallest, and by far, the cutest.

"Cool!" Henry exclaimed, and Emma wondered when he'd started to use that word so much. "Can I paint mine first?"

"Sure," David agreed, and soon, they were watching each other paint, trying not to laugh at the interesting color choices. Henry painted his a dark blue, and Snow chose white, saying that way everyone would know that one was her. Emma chose red, the same shade as her favorite jacket, and Charming painted his yellow, saying he really liked the color. They chose green for Neal, since he couldn't pick, and painted his penguin for him.

"Great, but what's the box below the penguins for?" Henry questioned.

"I thought we could put 'The Nolan Family' there."

"I have a better idea," Henry told him, grabbing a black paintbrush and carefully forming the letters. When he was done, he leaned back to let his family see. 'The Charming Family' was neatly inscribed there.

"That's perfect," David agreed. They all looked at the perfect ornament for a little, and Emma decided that she felt like a part of a family now, not just because of the ornament of course. That was just a symbol of the love they all had for each other, but it helped her to see a sign of it. "So, who's ready to decorate the tree?"

Mary Margaret ended up just watching, since Neal became fussy and wanted his mother to hold him, but David, Henry, and Emma easily picked up the slack. Soon, their Christmas tree was filled with ornaments, the most prominent being the clothespin soldiers and the penguin family. They all stood back to enjoy their hard work, and Emma found herself already looking forward to making ornaments and decorating the tree next year. Perhaps not celebrating Christmas that much as a child wouldn't hinder her from enjoying it now.


	8. December 8- Candy Cane

Summary:Roland decides he likes candy canes, and when Robin takes him to the store to buy him some, he discovers something that he does his best to keep from his son.

Characters: Roland, Robin, August, and Marco

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><p>Robin looked over as his son ran up to him, grinning from ear to ear. "Hey buddy," he greeted, almost instantly noting the stickiness surrounding his mouth. Since they were playing in the park, his son shouldn't have been able to get ahold of any food. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to the sides of his mouth.<p>

Roland giggled, trying to lick the sticky stuff off of his face. He didn't really succeed. "One of the other kids gave me a candy cane!" he explained. "It was really good!"

"Okay, but Roland, what have we said about candy?" Robin asked. Roland almost instantly looked guilty when he remembered the family rule.

"I'm supposed to ask you if I can have some. I'm sorry, Daddy, I forgot!" Robin sighed. It was so hard to stay angry at his little boy when he looked so sad and innocent.

"That's alright, buddy. You can just skip dessert for dinner tonight." Roland nodded.

"Okay Daddy. Next time I'll ask."

"I know you will," he reassured him, before glancing at his watch. "Okay, we should probably start heading home now."

"Okay." They were walking back to the camp, when they passed by the grocery store. "Daddy?"

"Yes Roland?"

"Can we see if they have any candy canes? Please?" he begged.

"Alright, but remember, you can't have any until tomorrow." Roland nodded enthusiastically, and Robin entered the store, his son right behind him.

"Yay, candy canes, candy canes!" Roland exclaimed happily. "Where are they, Daddy?"

"I don't know," Robin admitted. "Let's look." They walked down the aisles, and then Robin saw them, and he'd never been more grateful that the candy was on the top shelf. Apparently, there was more than one flavor for Roland's new favorite candy, a lot more. There was peppermint, chocolate, strawberry, and even one that was dill pickle, as well as a lot of others. Now, the thief was going to have to figure out which flavor his son had eaten, and try to avoid buying more than one flavor.

"Roland, maybe if you describe them to me, I could find them easier."

"Um, okay. It's in the shape of a cane, and it has red stripes." While that knocked out most of the flavors, it still left strawberry and mint, and Robin would like to keep his son oblivious to the fact that there was more than one flavor of candy cane. The second Roland found out, he'd end up with about twelve boxes of the stuff.

"Really? What did it taste like?" he asked, trying to pretend like he was just curious.

"Kind of like toothpaste, but actually tasty," Roland told him. Ah, so the mint candy cane was the one his son had tried.

"Did it look like this?" he asked, grabbing a case of peppermint candy canes from the top shelf and showing them to his son.

"Yes, that's it!" he exclaimed. Robin steered his son to the checkout, and tried to distract him from the family in front of them, who had one of the other candy cane flavors.

"What else did you do in the park?"

"I made snow angels, and snowballs, and we tried to make a snowman, but no one knew how, so it ended up being a snow pile," Roland informed him. Robin had seen most of this, but he needed to keep his son talking before the discovery of multiple flavors could be made. Luckily, the family finished checking out, and left with their candy canes.

Robin bought the candy, and then quickly ushered his son out of the store. Glad that they were far away from the candy, he agreed to let his son carry the box of candy canes. "Just remember that you can't eat any yet." Roland nodded solemnly, and hugged the box close to him as they walked down the street.

"Hey, Roland!" The little boy turned around, face lighting up when he noticed August, his best friend that was his age.

"August!" The boys started talking, and Robin decided it couldn't hurt to let his son talk to August for a little while.

"How are you?" Marco asked, obviously thinking along the same lines as the thief.

"Pretty good. Roland just discovered candy canes."

"Does he know there are different flavors?"

"No, and I'm hoping he never finds out." Marco chuckled, understanding Robin's desire to keep that hidden from his son.

Just then, Robin heard part of the children's conversation, and suppressed a groan as Marco laughed louder. "Of course there are other flavors! I like the fruit ones," August informed Roland.

"Daddy, did you know there are other flavors for candy canes besides this one?"

"Really?" Robin asked, as it was the only thing he could say without admitting he'd already known.

"Yeah, we should try some!"

"Maybe after we finish the ones you already have," Robin told him.

"Okay," Roland said, sounding a tad bit disappointed.

"Now, come on buddy, it's time we made it home."

"Bye August, bye Mr. Marco." Soon, they were walking home again, and Robin wondered what his chances were of Roland forgetting about the multiple flavors for candy canes. He figured they were very, very slim. At least Roland would enjoy himself this Christmas, even if Robin would be constantly trying to ensure his son didn't overdose on sugar. Besides, he was rather looking forward to trying the different flavors as well.


	9. December 9- Poinsettia

Summary:The poinsettia that Henry sold him as a fundraiser finally arrives, and Archie has no idea where to put it.

Characters: Archie, Ruby, Henry, and Pongo

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><p>Archie looked up from his paperwork as someone knocked on his door. He didn't have another session for a little while, so he had no idea who it could be. He got up to answer it, and was surprised to see Henry standing on the other side of the door. For a second, he was worried that the boy was having a rough time, but he relaxed when he saw Henry's huge smile.<p>

"Hello, Henry," he greeted, trying to figure out why the teen would visit him.

"Hey, Dr. Hopper. The poinsettias are here," he said, handing Archie the flower that he'd ordered. He'd almost forgotten the fundraiser that Henry was doing.

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Henry." He held the flower a little awkwardly, but Henry didn't seem to notice.

"Well, see you later," he said, before leaving the psychiatrist alone with Pongo and the poinsettia.

Archie closed the door and looked back at Pongo, who was staring curiously at the flower. He sighed as he surveyed his office, trying to find the perfect place to put it. Honestly, Archie had never been good about decorating for Christmas, partly because his office was already filled with knick-knacks. He thought his office was cozy, as did many of his patients, and the amount of objects didn't make it feel cluttered. However, when he tried to add something new, he found he had trouble finding a spot for it.

"Where do you think I should put the poinsettia?" he asked his dog. Pongo thumped his tail once. "Well, I don't know either." It was going to be impossible to find a place for it without moving things around, and he might even have to take something out of his office to make it work. He supposed he could just take the poinsettia home with him, but his patients were commenting on his lack of Christmas cheer. He really should keep it in his office, but where?

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Archie glanced at his watch. It was still half an hour until his next patient came. Either Regina was really early or he had another surprise visitor. Since Regina was consistently two minutes early, never any earlier or later, it was probably another guest. He put down the poinsettia on top of the paperwork on his desk, and opened the door.

"Hello," Archie said, shocked to see Ruby standing there.

"Hey, so I noticed that you didn't come into the diner for lunch today," she said, and Archie felt his face turn as red as the flower he'd just received from Henry.

"Yes, well, I had paperwork to catch up on," he explained.

"So, you brought lunch from home?"

"Err, no. I was just going to skip lunch today," he admitted. Ruby was going to kill him; for some reason she always worried that he didn't eat enough. Both her and her grandmother seemed to think that without them making sure he ate, he'd starve to death.

Ruby's shoulders visibly relaxed as she handed him a paper bag. "Good thing I brought you lunch, then. I got you a hamburger and fries. I hope that's alright."

"That's perfect. Thank you," he said. Had she really come over here just to give him food? He felt his face turning red just thinking about it.

"So, uh, that would be six dollars," Ruby informed him. He pulled his wallet out and handed her the money. "Next time you aren't going to come in, just call and I'll deliver lunch strait to you."

"I didn't know you had started delivering food to people." Archie didn't notice her shift nervously.

"Yeah, well, only if you're close enough, and since your office is right across the street, we'll deliver lunch to you." That's when she looked down at the money he'd given her, and realized it was a ten. "Archie, are you going to insist on tipping me by over fifty present again?"

He nodded, grinning. "It's only four dollars." She huffed, but kept the money anyway, like she always did.

"Well, I guess I should …" she was about to leave, when she saw a glimpse of bright red out of the corner of her eye. "Is that a poinsettia?"

"Yes, Henry had this fundraiser, and I bought it from him. I'm just trying to decide where to put it." She looked around his office, and started to laugh.

"Well, that seems like quite the challenge."

"Yes, and Pongo's not being much help." Pongo whined slightly, as if to say that he resented Archie's remark.

"Well, if you just moved some stuff around …"

Archie wasn't quite sure how she did it, but a few minutes later the poinsettia was in a perfect spot, and everything else she'd moved was in a great place, too. "It would have taken me hours to do that," he admitted, and Ruby smiled.

"Well, I'm glad to help." They stood there awkwardly for a little. Archie tried to build up his courage. He'd been meaning to ask her out for a while, but he could never get himself to do it. Marco and Granny, the only other people who were aware of his crush, were starting to get impatient with him. Now seemed to be the perfect time to ask her. That is, it would have been, if he'd spoken up soon enough.

"I should get back to the diner before Granny starts to wonder where I went." She headed for the door, and Archie realized he was missing his chance.

"Um, Ruby?" She turned around to look at him, and he found his nerves failing him once more. "Thank you for helping with the poinsettia, and for bringing me lunch."

"You're welcome, Archie," she said, before disappearing out the door. He collapsed onto the couch, and Pongo looked at him quizzically.

"Maybe next time," he muttered, knowing full well that he'd act the exact same way next time this happened. He looked at the poinsettia, and realized he probably wouldn't take it down after Christmas was over; not when Ruby had put it there.


	10. December 10- Gingerbread Men

Summary: Henry and Regina engage in a tradition they do every year; baking cookies.

Characters: Henry and Regina

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><p>"Come on Mom," Henry exclaimed impatiently as Regina walked into the kitchen. "I already got everything ready." She surveyed the room, impressed that her son had remembered all the necessary ingredients, although she supposed he should remember what all they needed. After all, they only made gingerbread cookies every year.<p>

"Alright Henry, alright." She pretended to be irritated at his impatience, but she was grinning from ear to ear, so it didn't really work.

He practically dragged her over to the recipe book, and she barely had time to throw on an apron before the cooking began. In the end, she was glad she'd taken time to protect her clothes, because Henry started a miniature food fight, which ended with him satisfyingly covered in dough, and her magically cleaning the homemade substance so they could actually bake with it.

"Can you cook them any faster?" Henry asked when the people they'd cut out had only been in the oven for a few minutes. He seemed really impatient this year; she wondered why. "You could use your magic?"

"Yes, but then how would you learn to be patient? Besides, why are you in such a big hurry this year?"

"I just have a great idea for decorating them." She looked at him curiously, but he just smiled. "I can't tell you, you have to wait and see. But they'll be the best ones yet." Now Regina found herself having trouble waiting for the cookies to be finished. However, she wasn't going to let Henry force her into using magic when she'd already told him she wouldn't.

The second the delicious-smelling cookies were out of the oven, Henry started to decorate, and instead of decorating alongside him, Regina watched. That is, she tried to watch, until he glared at her and forced her to return to her own gingerbread men. But, if he was doing something special with his cookies, she couldn't just decorate hers with M and M buttons and a frosting smile. Grinning as the idea popped into her head, she set to work with as much enthusiasm as her son. He was going to love the theme she'd thought of for her cookies.

"Okay Mom," Henry said as the last bit of frosting was put on her last cookie. "You can see now." Regina walked over to look at her son's creations, and burst out laughing.

"Henry, you nailed it!" She looked at all his little cookies, and couldn't get over how accurate they all looked. "Hook even has a hook for a hand!" Henry beamed, glancing over his work. When he had thought of making a cookie look like people from town, he hadn't realized how awesome it would turn out, but all of them were easily recognizable. "How on earth did you manage Archie's glasses?"

"Well, I used black frosting and a tooth pick." It seemed like only yesterday when Henry's technique for decorating cookies had been unevenly spreading frosting and throwing a handful of M and Ms on top. His decorating skills had improved so much since then, and Regina couldn't help but be proud of her son. "How do yours look?" Henry asked, before walking over to view the cookies she'd decorated.

"Awesome!" he exclaimed almost instantly. "Marvel super heroes!" She'd known he'd like them. All of his favorite super heroes, from Captain America to Iron Man, were on her sheet. "What gave you that idea?"

"You, of course." His smile widened, as he looked at her, and then back at the cookies they created. Suddenly however, the smile slipped off his face and was replaced with sheer horror.

"Oh no," he exclaimed.

"Henry, what's wrong?" Regina asked, worried for her son. Had something happened? If so, she had no idea what.

"How are we going to be able to eat anyone? Everyone's too awesome to eat." It took a second or two for what he'd said to sink in, but soon she was laughing. He joined in soon after.

"Well, I guess they'll just have to sacrifice themselves for the greater good." Henry laughed harder, and then, out of nowhere, he was hugging her.

He didn't explain, but he didn't have to. Regina knew he was hugging her to thank her for all the years they'd made cookies together, and all the years they'd continue to do so.


	11. December 11- Snowman

Summary: Emma mentions having missed building snowmen as a child, so her parents and Ruby agree to do it with her. The only problem is that none of them have experience building snowmen, either.

Characters: Emma, Ruby, David, Mary Margaret, and baby Neal

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><p>Emma sat on the couch, talking to her father as her mother fed baby Neal. Henry was with Regina today, and Killian was busy doing something on his ship, which left Emma feeling a bit lonely. Luckily, her parents were happy to chat with her.<p>

"So, Emma," Mary Margaret joined the conversation as soon as Neal was finished eating. "What's your favorite thing about Christmas?"

Emma shrugged, trying to act casual. "I never really got into Christmas." They didn't press, but she saw a sad look come over both her parents' faces. They probably felt like it was their fault she hadn't fully experienced the holiday. After all, it was in moving from foster home to foster home that she'd realized Christmas was a family holiday, and decided she didn't like it.

"Well, what do you most wish you could do?" David asked, trying to make things happier, and also trying to make up for an experience his daughter never had.

Before Emma could answer, however, there was a knock on the door. David went to answer it, since Snow was still holding Neal. "Ruby, how can I help you?"

"Oh, David, did I forget to tell you?" Snow asked. She didn't even wait for a response, the look on his face was enough to tell her that she had, indeed, left him out of the loop. "The diner's Christmas lights aren't working, one of the bulbs must have burnt out, and Ruby wanted to use our leftover ones."

"Oh, yeah, sure," he said. "They're in the attic." He went upstairs, Ruby following close behind him. "You know, if you needed to use some holly, we have plenty." Emma didn't hear Ruby's response over her own fit of giggles. She couldn't believe David and Mary Margaret still had boxes of the stuff lying around.

"So, Emma, what is it you wanted to do?"

"Well, I've always wanted to build a snowman. That always looked like fun." Snow got a pensive look on her face.

"Build a snowman," she muttered, rocking Neal back and forth when he started to fuss a little. "You know, I don't think I've ever done that."

"Ever done what?" David asked as he walked down the stairs, carrying the box filled with Christmas lights.

"Built a snowman."

"You know, I don't think I have, either."

"We should do it," Ruby declared. "Because honestly, we all should have done this long ago."

"You haven't built one either?" Emma asked the waitress. Ruby shook her head.

"Well then, let's do it." Snow's words seemed to settle the matter, and soon everyone was bundled up and headed outside, including Neal, who seemed to love the snow. David always said it was because it reminded the baby of his mother.

"Alright, great," David said as soon as they were standing outside. "So, where do we start?"

"I think we just start packing snow into a ball," Ruby said uncertainly, but since no one had a better idea, they followed her advice. It worked well for a while. The ball grew bigger and bigger, until it became difficult to pack snow into it.

"It's getting too big," Mary Margaret decided as the ball resisted more snow being added to it yet again.

"But it's not near big enough to be the snowman's base," Ruby protested. They stared at it for a second, trying to puzzle out an easier way to make the ball bigger.

"We could roll it!" Emma said suddenly. "That way, it would pick up the snow on the ground, and grow bigger that way!"

"Emma, you're a genius!" David exclaimed, hugging his daughter, before taking her advice. After discovering how well Emma's idea worked, building the snowman was a piece of cake. Soon, they had three balls stacked on top of each other. Emma and Charming used their sheriff badges for buttons, claiming his name was 'Sheriff Snowman.' Ruby took off her scarf and wrapped it around his neck, and Snow sacrificed her hat. They went inside to get a carrot for his nose, and they ended up using broccoli to give him green eyes, and red peppers to form his smile.

"Perfect." Ruby was the one who said it, but the Charming family agreed. The snowman they'd created was, indeed, perfect. What's more, they'd done it without any prior experience. They admired their handiwork for a minute or two, before Neal stared to fuss. Deciding it was high time they got out of the cold, they went back into the apartment. Ruby took her Christmas lights, and a box of the holly, and left, refusing the hot cocoa and requesting the return of her scarf as soon as the snowman started melting. After warming up Neal, the three adults sat together, sipping their hot drink.

David and Mary Margaret continued to ramble about the snowman. Emma just smiled, sipping her cocoa and watching her parents interact. Finally, after years of wanting to build a snowman but having no one to build it with, she'd done it, with the help of her parents. Maybe, just maybe, she'd finally get to do everything she'd always wanted to do during the holidays.


	12. December 12- Trumpet

Summary: It's finally Henry's Christmas concert, and Regina and Emma both agree that they need to talk to their son about the trumpet player he's sitting next to.

Characters: Henry, Grace, Regina, Emma, Killian, Gold, Belle, Archie, Jefferson, Robin, Roland, David, Mary Margaret, and baby Neal.

**Note: Some of the characters only make minor appearances, especially the ones near the end of the list.  
><strong>

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><p>Regina sat still, smiling as Roland wiggled in his chair. She knew the boy would calm down once the concert began, but until then, it was alright for him to be a little antsy. Robin sat on the aisle, and on Roland's other side. He'd given up trying to calm his son down, at least until the songs began, per Regina's suggestion. After having brought Henry to school concerts and plays when he was little, she had some idea of what was appropriate behavior for young children.<p>

"Hey, this seat taken?" Regina looked up, to see the Savior was the one asking. Well, since they were both here for Henry …

"You can sit next to me, Miss Swan." Emma smiled gratefully, but didn't talk much to Regina.

Instead, she was trying to explain to Hook why unexperienced musicians wouldn't feel embarrassed putting on a concert. Since he came from a time where only the best of the best dared to perform for an audience, it was a hard concept for him to grasp. David, who was sitting on the pirate's other side, was having about the same amount of success as Emma at explaining the situation to Killian. Eventually, the two of them gave up. David started talking to Snow, and surprisingly, Archie. Apparently, even the psychiatrist had come to hear Henry play his new instrument in the concert.

Just then, the band started to file on stage, and an instant quiet fell over the audience. Even Roland stopped moving. The little boy leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of Henry. Regina felt pride start to fill her as he finally appeared on stage. He looked absolutely handsome in his suit and tie, even though Regina knew he felt a little awkward. Most of the other students were dressed nicely, but save the director, no one was dressed as formally as him. In Regina's opinion that just made him all the more handsome, and showed how committed he was to the band.

The pride only lasted for a few seconds, however. She noticed his son was whispering quietly to the person behind him, seemingly trying to reassure them that they'd do fine, when that person came into view. That person was Grace, and she was wearing a very beautiful dress. Regina stiffened, and she felt Emma do the same beside her. Henry was trying very hard to reassure the young woman that she'd do fine, and Regina couldn't help but notice how close they sat when they reached their chairs. Why were they even sitting next to each other? Grace didn't even play the same instrument as her son.

She heard a chuckle behind her, and she whipped her head around, to see Gold and Belle there, presumably for Henry, and Jefferson as well. The Mad Hatter was the one chuckling, while Gold smirked. Belle seemed to be attempting to get them to behave, but was failing, in part due to the wide grin spreading across her face. "What?" Regina hissed, feeling anger start to bubble inside her.

Jefferson was the one that answered. "He said that I'm the one with the girl, but you and Emma are the protective ones." Regina's scowl deepened, only causing the Mad Hatter to chuckle again. She was about to chastise him, when she heard the band start to play. She quickly turned back around, and realized that they were just warming up a little. Deciding that she could wait for her discussion with Gold and the Hatter until after the concert, she didn't turn back around to talk to Jeff again.

Soon, the concert actually began, and Regina listened as best she could, trying to force her worry out of her head. What if Henry moved too quickly with Grace, and she wasn't the one? Or what if she was the one, and he never made his move? What if she broke his heart? Yes, she was doing a great job of enjoying "Jingle Bell Rock." The concert was over much quicker than she'd expected, and she was disappointed in herself for not enjoying the songs more.

"Hey, Regina, I know I said I'd walk you home …"

"No need," Regina told Robin, when she noticed that Roland had fallen asleep halfway through the concert. "Thank you for coming. I'm sure Henry will thank you later."

"Anytime," the thief replied, grinning, before he gently scooped his son up in his arms and left. David and Mary Margaret followed soon after, seeing as baby Neal was sound asleep as well. The rest of them waited for Henry to put his instrument away and come and find them. Regina grabbed Emma away from Hook. They desperately needed to talk about their son.

"Miss Swan, I really think Henry needs to have the girl talk." Emma nodded, in full agreement.

"But it should be a guy that does it." Regina sighed.

"Robin and David just walked out on us," she reminded the Savior.

"I could do it," Hook suggested, walking over. Of course the pirate couldn't keep his nose out of their business.

"No offense Hook, but I think someone else should do it," Emma, surprisingly, spoke up.

"Why love?"

"Well, I don't exactly want Henry to have the girl talk from someone who doesn't even remember all the girls he's ever been with."

Killian looked like he wanted to protest, but he finally consented. "I suppose you're right, love."

Regina was, in truth, relieved that Emma was on her side for this one. She really didn't want Killian to be the one to have this discussion with Henry. "Alright, then who do we get to talk to him?"

"You could wait until the Prince or the thief is free," Hook suggested.

"No," both women said at the same time. They were on the same page, Henry needed to have this talk now before anything terrible happened.

"What's going on?" Belle was the one who asked, as she, Rumpelstiltskin, Jefferson, and Archie decided to make the private conversation public. Regina was about to snap at her, when Emma spoke up.

"Archie could do it!" Archie could do it. Regina would trust him to talk to Henry about this matter, and Henry was rather close to the psychiatrist.

"I could do what?" he asked, looking confused but ready to help.

"Henry's ready for the girl talk," Emma informed him. The deer-in-the-headlights look he got would have been absolutely hilarious if it hadn't meant that he was likely to refuse.

"I don't … er … I've never been … with anyone. And I never had the girl talk, myself, so …"

"Never had the girl talk?" Regina questioned. He nodded.

"Sorry, I would have no idea what to say to him, besides to list of psychology facts, which he probably already knows."

"Great! So now who's going to talk to him?" Gold cleared his throat, and Regina looked at him skeptically. "You?"

"Can you think of anyone better for love advice, dearie? The first woman I was with, I ended up being miserable with. The second one let me corrupt her soul, while corrupting mine even more. And the third," he looked at Belle then, his love for her showing in his eyes. "Was my true love." He turned his attention back to the worried mothers. "In anyone is capable of giving love advice, it's me."

"Fine," they both said at the same time. Maybe they had more in common than they thought.

"Just, do it tonight, please," Emma requested.

Before Gold could respond, Henry and Grace were there. Henry was grinning, but it took assurances from everyone for Grace to finally believe that she'd actually done well on her instrument, which Regina now realized was a trumpet. Once she realized that she had done well, however, she was smiling as widely as Henry. Soon, Jefferson took Grace home, and Archie took his leave as well.

"Hey, Henry, can I talk to you?" Gold questioned. Henry nodded, and soon the two men left the room. Emma started pacing, while Regina just tensed up. Belle watched them, a bit confused.

"If you don't mind me asking, why does this worry you so much?"

"Love can be painful." They looked at each other in shock, realizing they had yet again, spoken at the same time.

"Let's see, a list of my boyfriends. Graham is dead, August lied to me and then got turned into a kid, and Bae's dead. Sure, I have Killian now, but I still know all the ways love can turn out wrong."

Belle looked expectantly at Regina next, as if she thought this was some sort of therapy session. "Everyone knows about my love life! My mother ripped Daniel's heart out, and forced me to marry King Leopold. I killed him. Now I have Robin, but I've had my share of relationships that end badly, too."

"And you both want to shelter Henry from that," Belle commented, watching for a reaction.

"You know, I pay Dr. Hopper once a week for a therapy session! I don't need another!" Regina snapped.

"Love can be painful, but it can also be rewarding," Belle said, ignoring Regina's outburst. "I know you're both scared, but Henry's getting to the age where he's ready to start experiencing that. You need to let him."

"Thanks, Belle." Regina could tell by the Savior's tone that she didn't mean it, but she was just saying it to stop her from talking. That way, they wouldn't have to think about their son being hurt, or how quickly he was growing up. Maybe, one day, they would let Belle's words sink in, but right now, she was just too worried about her son for that to happen.

Soon, Gold and Henry walked back out. Henry's face was a bit red, but other than that, everything seemed to have gone well. Regina took him back home, and though she knew she wouldn't be able to protect him completely, she knew she would always be there when he needed him. She'd just wished she'd known about the trumpet player sooner, before she'd started supporting her son's involvement in the band.


	13. December 13- Candle

Summary: It's late at night, but there is still light on in the house. When Gold finds Belle reading by candlelight, he thinks it's the sweetest thing ever.

Characters: Rumple and Belle

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><p>He woke up in the middle of the night, and rolled over so he could look at his beautiful wife as he drifted back to sleep, as he did every time it happened. However, this time, Belle wasn't there.<p>

Rumple sat up, mind running through all the possibilities, before he told himself that he was overreacting. Belle had, probably, not been kidnapped. She just went to get a glass of water, or use the restroom. But, the longer he waited without his darling wife appearing, the more frantic he got. Maybe someone _had_ kidnapped her, and he was just lying there as they dragged Belle farther and farther away from him.

After managing to give her a generous thirty seconds to come back, he got out of bed. He had to find her, and make sure she was safe. It really didn't take much to search the house, as there was a flickering light underneath the door to the study. Since it was flickering, it meant the person in the middle of kidnapping Belle was using a candle to light their way, instead of the house lights or a much more practical flashlight.

Instead of opening the door, and alerting the enemy to his whereabouts, Rumple teleported into the room, appearing in the corner. What he saw instantly dispelled his fear and melted his heart. His Belle, his darling Belle, was perfectly safe. She was curled up in an armchair, reading by the light provided by five or six candles resting on the table next to her. He watched her for a while, completely enchanted by her, and never getting tired of seeing her flip the pages to the book. He could watch her like this for hours, looking at her face and seeing how deeply enthralled she was with the story, and observing the candlelight gracefully dance across her features.

Eventually, he realized that he'd probably scare her when she was done with the book. She would look up, see him, and give herself a heart attack. So, he quietly teleported himself out of the room, just to walk in through the front door. She looked up, and grinned sheepishly at him.

"Sorry, I just wanted to read this," she said, holding up the book. It was a collection of short stories, but the one displayed prominently on the cover was _The Gift of the Magi._ "I heard the first one was a good Christmas story, and then I wanted to see how the others turned out …" She trailed off. "Anyway, I'm sorry if I scared you."

"You didn't," he lied. No need to upset her over something that didn't matter. "I just wondered where you went off to. You can read as long as you want." He started to leave, when she called out his name.

"You could read with me, if you wanted." He smiled, sitting across from her and picking out a book, one that he didn't read. Instead, he read her face as the candles burned low, and when she nodded off, he couldn't bear to wake her. Instead, he watched the light dance across his sleeping wife, and he wondered how he got so lucky.


	14. December 14- Christmas Lights

Summary: Ruby almost falls while finally putting up Christmas lights around the diner, but someone catches her.

Characters: Ruby, Archie, Granny, and Victor

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><p>Ruby sighed as she moved the ladder for about the millionth time that day. She would climb up it, fasten one clip to the gutter, fasten that to the lights, climb down again, and repeat the whole process after moving the ladder a few feet forward. This always took forever, and usually she had help, but the diner was packed today, so Granny couldn't spare anyone else to help her, and she'd already waited long enough to put these annoying lights up. So, she slowly made her way around the diner, all on her own, wishing someone else was there, if only to give her someone to talk to while she did the tedious task.<p>

"Hello, Ruby," Victor greeted as he headed to the café for lunch. "Hanging those all on your own?"

"Yup."

"Well, good luck," the doctor commented, before entering the warmth of the diner. That was another thing, it was pretty hard to fasten the lights when her hands were encased in gloves. She climbed up the ladder again, and only to realize she'd moved it too far forward, having been distracted by Whale's greeting. Either she was going to have more space in between the clips for this part of the wall, or she was going to have to move the ladder again. Or, she could always reach back a little farther. Opting to keep the same spacing between the fasteners, and not wanting to move the ladder again, she leaned back. She managed to hook the clip onto the gutter, but when she tried to grab the lights, she leaned back a little too far.

Ruby toppled from the ladder, too shocked to scream as she fell toward the ground. Before she even got close, however, she slammed into something, knocking it into the snow with her. Whatever it was groaned slightly, and she realized she'd fallen on top of a person. "Gosh, I'm so sorry," she said, scrambling to get off of her rescuer. It was only once she was standing that she realized it was Dr. Hopper who had so valiantly let her fall on top of him.

"Are you alright?" he asked, as she helped him to his feet.

"Yes, you?"

"I'm fine," he said, and he bent over to retrieve his glasses, which had been knocked off his face in the fall. He put them back on, and Ruby noticed the lens had cracked a little.

"I'm sorry. Your glasses." He shrugged.

"I've got a spare pair of them at home," he informed her. "I'll be fine." She nodded, still feeling terribly about it, but allowing her body to relax. She was super tense after the scare of the fall. "Why are you hanging lights all by yourself?"

"Everyone else is too busy." Now it was her turn to shrug. "Guess someone else should have been doing this; someone who would have thought before leaning backward too far."

He chuckled slightly. "You know Ruby, if you need help, I'm not busy."

"Sure! I'd love your help!" She hoped she hadn't emphasized 'your' too much, but if she had, Archie didn't notice.

"If you move the ladder for me and hand me the clips, then I'll hang the lights," he suggested.

"No, I can climb the ladder. I can't make you do that," she argued.

"After you just fell?" he asked, shaking his head. "You need to stop shaking first." It was only once he pointed it out that she realized her hands were shaking, from nerves. She knew she was supposed to be nervous after falling from that height, but she felt like her body was betraying her. "Please, let me do it."

She felt herself flush as she finally consented, and moved the ladder back a little so he could hang the lights without falling. Most of the boys she'd dated would have told her they were hanging the lights, not asked her. She could add that to one of the many things she loved about Archie. Ruby had a giant crush on Archie, and she'd had one since he was a cricket. However, she knew he didn't feel the same way. For as long as she'd known him, he'd never dated, not even once. Either he was waiting for the perfect girl, or, as she'd long suspected, he wasn't looking for love. Why would he want to be a cricket when he knew that meant he could never really get close to people? It was because he was almost like a monk; he wasn't looking for love and he was super nice and helpful. It wasn't anything personal, Archie didn't have a crush on her because he didn't have a crush on anyone. At least, that's what she told herself to stop her mind from telling her that she was the last person Archie Hopper would ever want to date.

Archie's help didn't really speed up the process, but it did mean that she didn't have to do it alone. Near the end, at her insistence, he even let her back up on the ladder, because she'd wanted to prove that a fall couldn't phase her. Most of her former boyfriends wouldn't have let her do that.

As soon as they were done, Ruby turned on the lights. It didn't matter that it was broad daylight, she had to survey their handiwork. They looked magnificent to them, in part because of all the hard work and bravery that had gone into hanging them.

Ruby turned them back off when she was satisfied that they would work. "Well, thank you, Archie. You helped a lot."

"You're welcome." He smiled slightly, and glanced down at his watch. "Hey, um … I have to go. I have another patient I need to meet with soon." That was when the pieces clicked together in her head.

"You skipped your lunch break to help me hang lights." He nodded, and his face looked red, but Ruby couldn't tell if that was because he was blushing, or if it was from the cold. "Wait two seconds," she ordered, dashing inside. As promised, Granny had a burger, fries, and hot chocolate waiting for her. It was her reward for hanging the lights. "Granny, could you make another?" Ruby called as she poured the hot cocoa into a to-go cup.

"For who?" Granny asked, looking skeptically at her granddaughter. "I thought you were working alone."

"For me. This one's for Archie. He helped." Ruby missed Granny's knowing look as she gently slid the burger and fries into a disposable container.

"Tell him 'thank you'," Granny said as Ruby ran back outside.

"Granny says 'thanks', and so do I," she said, handing him the cup and the bag with his food in it. He started to reach for his wallet, when she stopped him. "No way. This one's on the house, for helping me hang the lights and saving my life."

"I doubt you would have died," he said, but he put his wallet back, and he was grinning. He took the food from her, and Ruby really wished they weren't wearing gloves, because their hands brushed as he took it. "Glad I could help," he muttered, before walking back, rather quickly, toward his office. He was probably just trying to stay warm.

Ruby walked back into a diner, where her new food was already awaiting her. "Thanks, Granny. You can take Archie's meal out of my paycheck."

"Nonsense! He was helping the diner, so the diner will pay for it." Ruby nodded, thanking her Granny. She tried, yet again, and failed, yet again, to tell herself to move on. Archie would never be interested in her. Little did she realize, that in his office, Archie was thinking about her, and wondering how to tell her how he felt about her.


	15. December 15- Drums

**Author's Note: I know the holidays are over, but I will still update these. If you don't like reading Christmas stories after the holidays, then save these for next year. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy it.**

Summery: Emma discovers where Henry got his musical talents from.

Characters: Emma, David, Mary Margaret, Henry, Killian, and baby Neal

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><p>Emma found herself yet again sitting in her parents' apartment. She seemed to be there a lot lately, which she figured was due to the Christmas season. She was finally spending the holidays with a family, with her family, and something about it just made her want to be with Snow and David as much as possible. This time, it wasn't just her. Killian and Henry were there too, and Emma felt like everything was perfect.<p>

"Seriously!" Killian exclaimed loudly from where he was talking with David, and Henry, Emma, and Mary Margaret stopped their conversation to see what was going on.

"Yes," David responded, grinning widely.

"There is no way that's your first snowman! It looks bloody perfect!"

"It's true," Mary Margaret informed him. "That was our first snowman ever."

"Well, I'm impressed. My first snowman didn't look anywhere near as good," Killian admitted.

"Yeah, but you were probably a kid when you first built a snowman," Emma pointed out.

"Aye Swan, that's true."

"Wait, that was your snowman?" Henry asked, finally realizing that they were the ones who'd built the snowman that was standing outside the apartment building. "I guess I should have realized that, since he has sheriff badges for buttons."

"Yeah kid, he's ours. Ruby helped too, though," Emma informed him.

"And that was really your first? He looks really good for your first snowman. The first one I ever build with my mom was super lopsided."

"Well, like Emma said, all of our builders were adults, so we had a slight advantage," Mary Margaret reminded him. The conversation lulled for a little. "I need to start on dinner," Snow finally admitted.

"Can I help?" Henry asked. Regina always let him help out in the kitchen, and he found he rather enjoyed it.

"Of course." They headed into the kitchen, leaving Emma to talk with Killian and David. However, that didn't last long. "David, I just realized, we're out of eggs, and the recipe calls for eggs."

"Do you need anything else?" David asked, already starting to head for the door.

"No."

He was about to step out, when Killian blocked him. "Mate, let me get the eggs. You should stay here, in case your lad needs you."

"Thanks Killian." The pirate smiled, pulling his coat on and leaving to get the eggs. "That was nice of him."

"Yeah, he's been in a helping mood lately. I think something about the Christmas season makes him feel like giving," Emma said.

"Well, it gives us time to spend together." David motioned toward the couch, and they both sat down on it, after David retrieved Neal out of his crib. Her baby brother cooed as David gently rocked him. Emma watched, feeling slightly melancholy as she wondered what it would have been like to hold Henry as a baby. "So, Emma, how …" David was interrupted as Neal started to cry. He sighed, thinking that his baby just wanted a song. Not feeling like humming, he started to tap out rhythms with his fingers on the table. Sure enough, this calmed Neal, and soon he was back to cooing.

"What was that?" Emma asked, looking at her father's fingers in a little bit of shock.

"Oh. I'm a drummer, so sometimes, to calm Neal down, I just tap."

"You're a drummer?" After everything she knew about her father - how he was a shepherd turned prince, and had found his true love when she hit him in the head with a rock - she somehow found this the most unbelievable fact she'd learned about him.

"Yeah. My drum is in the attic, but Snow doesn't want me to bring it down. She says it's too much noise for such a small apartment." He laughed a little.

"Well, I'd love to hear it sometime."

"Hear what sometime?" Henry had done all he could to help in the kitchen until the eggs arrived, so he'd come to see what they were talking about.

"Your grandfather plays the drums."

"Cool! That's awesome!"

"So that's where the lad gets his musical talent from." They turned around, to see that Killian had just entered the apartment with the eggs. Henry took them to the kitchen and continued baking with his grandmother.

"I guess so," David said, grinning at the thought that he shared something so special with his grandson. Emma smiled too, glad that her family had connections. She wondered if maybe she would be good at an instrument as well, but even if she wasn't, she was happy Henry and his grandfather had another connection.


End file.
